How to get the most from discount generic drug programs
Recently we provided links to discount generic drug programs. This week we look into their specifics and we learn that not all plans are alike. Some require a memberships, while others don’t. Some have both 30 and 90-day prescription plans, while others only offer 90-day programs.
So, what’s the best way to save money with these programs? For starters, you need to know that the stand-alone drug stores, CVS and Walgreens, charge for a generics program membership, so you won’t get the generic price automatically. For CVS it’s $10 per year, per person. Walgreens charges $20 per year and $35 for a family. Kmart asks that you enroll, but they don’t charge a fee. The other programs that we reviewed don’t have a membership program. If you shop at CVS and Walgreens a lot, you may want to consider joining the program, though it’s difficult to imagine Walgreens’ plan being economical. In general, we suggest looking elsewhere.
Target, Kroger and Wal-mart provide both 30 and 90-day generic prescriptions. Most of the drugs available for a 30 days are also available for 90 days. That’s not true of Kmart, though. They appear to have split the list by generics that you’re likely to get on a 30-day prescription (e.g., antibiotics for a short-term infection) from the ones that you might get with a 90-day prescription, like for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure. Giant, which uses online grocer Peapod.com to fulfill prescriptions, only offers a 90-day program, and Giant is only in the greater Washington D.C. area. CVS and Walgreen’s programs are only for 90-day prescriptions.
How many different drugs do they each cover? Most have about 150 medications, but when you count the different sizes, you’ll see 3-400. Since your doctor may prescribe a dose not covered, we’ll give them credit for each size.
The two drug chains may have a few more (high 300s for CVS and low 400s for Walgreens), so there will certainly be some instances where you find a drug at one chain and not another. Kmart appears to have the most with their split list, weighing in at the mid 400s, though they list some drugs twice under different names (e.g., the generic Warfarin and brand named version Jantoven), so they’re only a little bigger than CVS, or Walgreens.
What do they charge? It’s pretty much universal that it’s about $4 if they offer a 30-day plan, and $10 for the 90-day plan. There are a few drugs on each plan that cost a little more–between $15 and $30, but there are usually less than 10 on the exception list.
Bottom line, Target, Kroger and Wal-mart are nearly identical lists and no real differences. You’ll find a few drugs at Kmart, CVS and Walgreens that you won’t find elsewhere. If you’ve been prescribed a generic antibiotic, Kmart will more likely have it than the rest. Finally, Walgreens gets a slight nod over CVS on drugs covered.
Of course plans can change, so be sure to check with the web sites, or your local pharmacy for specifics on the plans. If you know of something that has changed, please let us know.
Previous post: Where to Find Inexpensive Generic Meds and Why They May Not Be So Cheap in Your State
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